HANDLING UNCOMMON EMERGENCIES

OBJECTIVE Learning Outcome 11 Explain the Procedures and Tactics in Handling of Uncommon Emergencies. 11.1 Explain the needs, operational procedures and tactical concepts of water rescue operations for aircraft accidents in the water. 11.2 Explain the needs, operational procedures and tactical concepts of hilly terrain rescue operations for aircraft accidents in hilly area. 11.3 Describe the types of radio-active materials, radio-active hazards and the strategic procedures of combating an aircraft fire involving radio-active materials. 11.4 State the procedures and tactics in dealing with an aircraft involving a threat of sabotage or unlawful seizure. REFERENCES a. ICAO-Airport Service Manual, Part I (Chapter 13) (Rescue Operations in Difficult Environment). b. ICAO-Emergency Response Guidance for Aircraft Dangerous Goods (DOC 9481-AN/928). c. d. FAA Advisory circular (150/5210-13). Security Manual for the Prevention of Unlawful Acts against Civil Aviation. for Aircraft Rescue and Firefighting Operational Incident Involving

Assessment Criteria 11

e. NFPA-402-Manual Procedures.

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HANDLING UNCOMMON EMERGENCIES

INTRODUCTION The purpose of this lesson is to familiarize the students with the knowledge and strategies of handling aircraft accident in the water, aircraft accident involving radio-active materials and unlawful interference of an aircraft. Aircraft uncommon emergencies generate various problems to the AFRS especially the safety of AFRS personnel and the strategies and techniques of rescue/fire fighting. ACCIDENTS IN THE WATER Where airports are situated adjacent to large bodies of water such as rivers or lakes, or where they are located on coastlines, special provisions should be made to expedite rescue. Probability of Fire In such incident, the possibility of fire is appreciably reduced due to the suppression of ignition sources. In situation where fire is present, its control and extinguishment present unusual problems unless the proper equipment is available. Spillage of Fuel on Water Surface It can be anticipated that the impact of the aircraft into the water might rupture fuel tanks and lines. It is reasonable to assume that quantities of fuel will be found floating on the surface of the water. Boats having exhausts at the waterline may present an ignition hazard if operated where this condition is present. Wind and water currents must be taken into consideration in order to prevent floating fuel moving into areas where it would be hazardous. As soon as possible, these pockets of fuel should either be broken up or moved with velocity nozzles or neutralized by covering them with foam or a high concentration of chemical agents. Calm surface will usually present more of a problem than choppy or rough surfaces. Organizing Diving Unit/Use of Divers Diving units should be dispatched to the scene. When available, helicopters can be used to expedite the transportation of divers to the actual area of the crash. All divers who may be called for this type of service should be highly trained in both SCUBA diving and underwater search and recovery techniques. In areas where there are no operating governmental or municipal underwater search and recovery teams, arrangements may be made with private diving clubs. The qualifications of the individual diver should be established by training and practical examination. In all operations where divers are in the water, the standard divers flag should be flown and boats operating in the area should be warned to exercise extreme caution.

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Tactical Approach and Fire Fighting Where fire is present, approach should be made after wind direction and velocity, water current and swiftness are taken into consideration. Fire may be moved away from the area by using a sweeping technique with hose streams. Foam and other extinguishing agents should be used where necessary. Tactics and Techniques of Rescue Operations It should be anticipated that victims are more apt to be found downwind or downstream. This should be taken into consideration in planning the attack. Where the distance offshore is within range, Dacron-covered, rubber-lined fire lines can be floated into position by divers or boats and used to supplement fire boats. In an emergency, rafts can be assembled by 2 men exhaling into a section of 64mm (2 inch) fire hose, coupling it to itself, folding and binding it with hose straps. Where occupied sections of aircraft are found floating, great care must be exercised not to disturb their watertight integrity. Removal of the occupants should be accomplished as smoothly and quickly as possible. Any shift in weight or lapse in time may result in their sinking. Rescuers should use caution so that they are not trapped and drowned in these situations. Where occupied sections of the aircraft are found submerged, there remains the possibility that there may be enough air trapped inside to maintain life. Entry by divers should be made at the deepest point possible. Where only the approximate location of the crash is established upon arrival, divers should use standard underwater search patterns marking the locations of the major parts of the aircraft with marker buoys. If sufficient divers are not available, dragging operations should be conducted from surface craft. In no instance should dragging and diving operations be conducted simultaneously. Command Post Location A command post should be established at the most feasible location on adjacent shore. This should be located in a position to facilitate the in and out movement of water rescue vehicles. Vehicles Requirement Vehicles used to transport fire-fighters and equipment to the scene of an emergency and to effect rescue operations should be capable of transverse the terrain or water routes encountered. Various types of vehicles, such as helicopters, boats, air cushions vehicles (hovercraft), amphibious vehicles, or track-type vehicles have been used. Whichever type of vehicle is used in this service, it should possess a speed characteristic sufficient to reduce response time to a minimum. Planning and Training When developing the airport emergency plan, special consideration should be given to providing a water rescue service capability. The water rescue plan should cover in detail

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the responsibilities of both the airport services and off airport services which may be called upon to assist in case of an emergency. Personnel assigned to water rescue operation should be trained in the operation should be trained in the operation of the equipment available and be familiar with the body of water which they will be required to operate. Therefore, extensive training in the art of water rescue should be included in the training programmer. Practice exercises shall be carried out regularly to insure that personnel respond and perform in accordance with prescribed procedures. ACCIDENT INVOLVING RADIO-ACTIVE MATERIALS The broad principles governing the international transport of dangerous goods by air are contained in Annex 18 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation The Safe Transport OF Goods by Air. The detailed instruction for the safe international transport of dangerous goods inclusive of radio-active materials by air are contained in the ICAO document 9284-AN/905 Technical Instruction For The Safe Transport of Dangerous Goods By Air and its supplements. Reference may be made to these documents to understand the general approach recommended for regulating the transport for regulating the transport of dangerous goods by air. Radio-active materials are being carried in commercial transport aircraft, particularly in cargo aircraft-regularly. While the containers used to transport these materials are rugged, and in the case of the more dangerous radio-active materials are designed to survive a crash situation intact, the possibility of breakage cannot be overlooked and this introduces the hazard of radio-active contamination at the accident site. By knowing and recognizing the radio-active symbols (see IAEA) Restricted for the Safe Transport of Radio-active Materials or IATA Restricted Articles Regulations for illustrations of the radio-active materials labels, fire fighters can be alerted to this hazard. The handling of a radio active material or any incident involving radio activity is probably the most hazardous situation in which a firefighter can be placed. Therefore, emergency response personnel should be alerted to a possible radio active problem when responding to a call. Following is a suggested sequence of events for handling a radiation incident: a. Notify the nearest authority concerned with atomic energy or the nearest military base of the accident immediately. They may be able to respond with a radiological team to the accident. b. Keep all persons not directly concerned with the rescue and fire fighting activities as far away as possible from the wreckage, material, container, etc. c. Isolate the scene of the accident and surrounding area. Detain any persons that may have been contaminated, exposed to radiation, or required to handle contaminated personnel and items. Isolate any contaminated vehicles or facilities. Instruct the departing personnel to practice isolation of them and equipment until the radiation team can check them out. d. Protect emergency response personnel from contaminants. Always use full protective equipment. When properly protected to handle radio active incidents, whether it is a fire or an injured person, do not hesitate to respond. The radio logical team will aid you after the emergency is secured. e. Remove injured from the area of the accident with as little contact as possible and holds them at a transfer point. Take any measures necessary to save lives, but

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carry out minimal first aid and surgical procedures until help is obtained from the radiological team physicians who are familiar with radiation medicine. f. Fight fires upwind as far as possible, keeping out if smoke, fumes or dust arising from the accident. Control water runoff, if possible. g. Suspected material should not be handled until it has been monitored and release by monitoring personnel. Clothing and tools used at the accident scene should be segregated until the radiological team checks them out. h. Drinking, eating or smoking should be prohibited in the area. Food or drinking water that may have been in contact with material from the accident should not be used. i. The radiation team will attempt to check out personnel and equipment that have been involved and then seek to determine what possible exposures have occurred to personnel, general public and the surrounding environment. j. When the emergency is terminated, do the minimum of overhauling and retreat to the isolation area. Do not return equipment back into service unless absolutely necessary. When the Emergency Radiation Assistance Team arrives, thoroughly inform them as to what type of radio active materials have been observed and the events that have taken place. Protection from External Radiation Emergency response personnel can secure protection from external radiation in three basic ways: a. Time: The less time an individual is exposed, the smaller the dosage.

b. Distance: As the distance increases, the amount of exposure to the radiation decreases. c. Shielding: The relative efficiency of the different shielding methods is shown in figure 7. Steel 1 in. (3.89 cm)

Concrete 4 in. (11.4 cm)

Earth 7 in. (19 cm) Water 10 in. (25.4 cm) Figure 7 Comparative thickness required the intensity of gamma radiation by one-half.

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If contamination of emergency response personnel is suspected, the following decontamination procedures should be followed: a. b. Remove outer clothing and place in plastic bag or wrap in a blanket. Avoid shaking clothing in the air to reduce contamination.

c. Wash face first, with a wash cloth. Then wash the hands. Place wash cloth in plastic bag. d. Do not leave area in which decontamination is taking place, as shoes may spread the material to other areas. e. The transport vehicle must be checked and decontaminated also.

UNLAWFUL INTERFERENCE Unlawful interference includes an aircraft which is subjected to a threat of sabotage or unlawful seizure. Airport Fire and Rescue Services (AFRS) should develop specific procedures to deal with such incidents. Threat of Sabotage (Bomb Warning) All bomb threat calls must be treated as genuine and immediate actions must be taken to counter it. The following actions are to be taken by the AFRS personnel: a. Ensure that all passengers are disembarked immediately with their hand luggage. b. Arrange for aircraft towing facilities to tow the suspect aircraft to the bomb warning site. The site selected should be a minimum of 100m from any other aircraft parking position, taxiway, runway, building, fuel farm, etc. c. Ensure that the isolated aircraft parking position does not have services such as, gas pipelines, refuelling hydrant pipes, other fuel lines or electric power cable beneath the surface. d. Contact the bomb disposal unit to clear the bomb from the suspect aircraft.

e. Position one foam tender at least 50m from the suspect aircraft if search is being ordered on the aircraft. Provide lighting unit for ground operations purpose during night times. Unlawful Seizure (Hijack) When an aircraft which has been unlawfully seized is at rest at an airport, the need to ensure that the perpetrators of acts of unlawful interference will be confronted with a well organized and effective response so that the damage or injury that could be caused by such acts may be prevented or minimized. The safety of the passengers and crew should be the overriding consideration of those involved in reaching any decision. Although the AFRS has not direct dealing during unlawful seizure of aircraft on the ground, the following course of actions are to be taken: a. Ensure that the hijacked aircrafts is parked at the isolated aircraft parking position located on an area at least 100 meters away from other aircraft parking

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positions, buildings, or public areas until the act of unlawful interference is terminated. b. Ensure that the aircraft parking position does not have services such as gas pipelines, refuelling hydrant pipes or electric power cable beneath the surface. c. Position one foam tender at least 100m away from the hijacked aircraft in readiness to act should fire break out as a result of explosion. CONCLUSION On completion of this lesson the students shall be able to explain the procedures and tactics in handling of uncommon emergencies.

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